Sylvania



(No Model.) -2 Sheets8heet 1.

H. J. FRANK & H. 0. WEIHE.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 541,223. :Baten ted June 18, 1895.-

amfgwto w WKNWW ls wrrzws co. Puma-Limo wan UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY 'J. FRANK AND HERMAN O. WEIHE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 541,228, dated June 18, 1895.

Application filed August 25, 1894. Serial No. 521,330. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HARRY J. FRANK and HERMAN O. WEIHE, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

Our present invention relates to the class of washing machines and more particularly those which employ automatically actuated pounders or heaters.

The bestform in which we have contemplated embodying our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the invention is disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical elevation with the tub and base in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, parts being removed. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are different views of the pounder-catch. Figs. 7 and 8 are details of this construction. Fig. 9 is a view of the catch on the plunger or pounder bar. Fig. 10 is atransverse sectional view of the plungerbars above the cross-bar a to show the preferred arrangement of the lifting-latches in respect to the plunger-bars. Fig. 11 is a partial view of a like section with the liftinglatches removed to show the arrangement of the catches H and the offsets a. Fig. 12 is a partial top or plan view of the cross-bar a. Fig. 13 is a view from the end of the machine of the tappet for operating the side plungers. Fig. 1.4: is a sectional view of a modified construction of tub-bottom.

In the figures a supporting frame is shown mainly composed of two uprights A A, a base B, and two cross beams a a. The two cross beams are united centrally of the machine by an upright a which may be denominated a steady-post as it serves to brace and strengthen the cross beams and the upper part of the frame.

Upon one side of the supporting frame is mounted a shaft C extending entirely across the frame and supported in bearings on each of the standards A A and the steady-post a. This shaft may be driven in any preferred way. It is, however, in this instance shown as driven from a counter shaft 0 mounted in hearings on one of the standards A and in a bracket or auxiliary frame a suitable gearing connecting them. At' each side of the frame, the shaft 0 is provided with bevel gears c which gear with bevel wheels 0' c on the upper ends of two vertically disposed shafts D D. These shafts have each a spur gear which meshes with the large gear 6 on the bottom of the tub E. The tub E is provided centrally with a gudgeon e seating in a bearing b with which the base B is provided. In such constructions when but one vertical shaft is employed, the descent of the pounder nearest this vertical shaft has a tendency to force the tub downward at that point and move the large gear e out of engagement with the spur gear on the bottom of the vertical shaft. The actual movements of the parts increase as the parts become worn resulting in a defective operation of the machine. We overcome objectionable results by employing the second shaft on the opposite side of the tub so that each shaft acts in a'measure as a stay to resist the evil efiects of the blows of the pounder nearest the opposite shaft. It is necessary that this hearing should be kept well lubricated and in order to do this we provide the base with the oil cupb which is connected with the bearingb by a small oil pipe b The pounders or ,plungers may be of any preferred number. In this instance we show a machine provided with five, arranged in aline across the tub. Each plunger consists of a head F with a guiding bar or stem f which is free to move in suitable apertures in the cross beams a a. These guiding apertures are made as most clearly indicated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 and are made to extend to one edge of the cross beam. After the plunger bars are in'place the apertures are closed by a bar a bolted to that side of the cross beam and serving to hold the plunger bars in position. Each of the plunger bars is slotted to receive the actuating tappet and at the upper end of the slot is provided with a friction roll to avoid friction, the tappet engaging this roll.

thereon. v p p The base J of the latch is provided at its. The i part K has its rear ehd extending between the lugs j j and is provided with trunn'ions k 3 which lie inthe space between the lugs j j which limit the movement of the plate K on the base J. Near the forward part or the two sides of the tub, it is found best to reduce the number of movements of one or more of the central plungers or pounders. In this construction only the movement of the central plunger is thus modified. Instead of actuating the central plunger by the same tappet as the outer plungers, it is actuated by the tappet or cam G. Shown in Fig.2. It will a be seen that the construction of this tappet or cam is such as to raise the plunger after it has descended upon the materials as soon as the other pl ungers or poun'ders are raised, but the cam 01' tappet is, however, provided with a circular part which holds the pounder or plunger raised during a half revolution of the shaft C, permitting it to drop only once during each revolution of the shaft. v

It is sometimes desirable to have 'one or more of the pluhge'rs or pounder-s held enter action for a time. To do this we provide the construction shown clearly in FigsB to 9 inelusive. It is in form of a device to engage the plunger whe in its highest positron.

Such devices have been heretofore employed but in most of such constructions as the hold ing means "only engages with the lunger on 1 its downward movement, the pliih'ger ofr pounder would be struck and slightly raised 1 by the tap'pe'ts on each revolution resiiltihg in unnecessary jarandwear of the parts and I sometimes in releasing the plunger. To avoid this we provide our construction with means for raising the pli'tnge'r held out of eperatioh to a Position in which it will be out'o'f contact with the ta'ppets. I us a latch and because of this peculiarity we term our improved construction a lift-j meme-11.

The guiding aperture of each plunger bar in the cross beam at is made with the foif set a. and each plunger bar is provi'ded with the catch H (see Fig. 9) which passes freely 1 through the off set a. The latch proper to I engage the catch is secured to the top of the 5 cross beam at. It is composed of 'two' main, parts, the base J which is fixed to the cross part K mounted I -strips preferably with the grain at right anbeam and the movable rear end with two lugs jj on each side.

plates the movable plate K is provided with a slot Zciand a pin 7' rigidly secured to the lower plate extends upward through this slot and a spring 70 is placed on the rod and bears upon the movable plate K. This spring is 515- i The device is termed by cured by a nut and washer upon the pin or in anypr'e'terred manner. The springis of such s'trehgth as to keep the movable part in any position to which it is moved and to hold it upon the base plate.

The movable plate K is at its forward end provided with the hand lever K which is pivoted to the plate K and is provided with a cam l. The plate Kis provided with a spring latch L which extends beyond one side of the plates J and K. A plate k may be fixed upon the lugsjj so as to loosely confine the trunnions 70, but this is not essential as the spring 70 will ordinarily hold the movable plate in place. on the cross beam that when the movable plate is forced back ward to the position shown in Fig. 5, the spring latch L will be out of.

theway 'ot the catch H and the plunger will be free to be raised and dropped by its tap- The latch is placed in such a position pet. When it is desired to throw'an'y one of y,

the plungers out of operation, the operator l 1 will by grasping the handle K draw the movable plate forward bringing it into the position shown in Fig. 6, in which position the spring latch L will be in the path of the catch Hon the plunger bar. As the plunger bar is raised thereafter -the cat'ch H will en gage with the spring latch. The operator will then turn the hand lever to the position shown in Fig.

'4, in which position the cam will raise the I plate K and plunger'so that the tappet of the plunger can rotate freely with'out'engaging orl'i'fting the plunger.

The t'ubmay, if preferred, be provided with a cover. When such a cover is desired we secure 'a central p'ortionof the cover provided with apertures through it for the passage of the plunger bars to the cross beam by brackets M and hinge to each side of this central .portion one or more flaps as shown in Fig. 2. f

gles to that of the bottom proper as shown in Fig. 14. I i

What we claim, 'andde sire to secure by Letters iPatent, is-'- 1 In a washing machine the combination with a revoluble tub, of a series of 'p'oun'ders arranged across thetu'b,'a t appet 'sh'a'f t for op erating said pounders said shaft being pro vided with a less number of tap ets for a pounder near the center of the tubs'aid shah being provided with mfeans for holding. the pounder 'raisedduring' the intervening opera- IIO tions of the other pounders, substantially as described.

2. In a washing machine the combination with a revoluble tub, of a series of pounders arranged across the tub, a tappet shaft for operating said pounders, said shaft being provided with a less number of tappets for the pounder nearest the center of the tub, the tappet for said pounders having aconcentric part to hold the plunger raised during the intervening operations of the other pounders, substantially as described.

3. In a washing machine the combination with a series of pounders and operative mechanism therefor, of an independent latch for each pounder for engaging and holding the pounder out of operation, said latch being provided with means for raising the pounder engaged by it, and holding the same out of contact with the tappet substantially as described.

4. In a washing machine the combination with a series of pounders and operative mechanism therefor, of an independentllatch for each pounder for engaging and holding the pounder out of operation, said latch being movable into and out of operative relation with the pounder and provided with means for raising the pounder engaged by it, and holding the same out of contact with the tappet substantially as described.

5. A latch for the pounders of a washing machine having a base plate rigidly secured pounder engaged by the spring latch, sub- 45 g stantially as described.

7. The combination with the base plate pro vided at one end with the lugs jj', of the movable plate having trnnnions k in, guiding means for the other end of the movable plate, 50

an elastic holding means, and the spring latch substantially as described.

8.v The combination of the base plate having lugs jj', of the movable plate having near one end the trunnions k and the slot near the 55 other end, of the pin passing through said slot, the spring presssing upon the movable plate, and the spring latch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signa- 6o tures in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY J. FRANK. HERMAN O. WEIHE. Witnesses:

JACOB S. DUVALL, EDITH MAY DUVALL. 

